Bad Habits, If Time Was My Friend
by CickCycleCarocel
Summary: Love is comblicated. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes no matter how much you love someone you have to let them go. "This ended the moment you said 'I do'," she murmured. "Why?" He asked. "Because it wasn't to me," she said softly.
1. The Comeback Kids and Suna's Dilemma

**Note: **Hey Ladies and Gents... This is my first Sakura/Gaara fanfic so please be nice to me. But I love honesty so give it to me, please. This is not the normal Sakura/Gaara fanfic and it won't end the way you think it will.

Bad Habits(If Time Was My Friend)

by CickCycleCarosel

Chapter One: The Comeback Kids and Suna's Dilemma

Sakura smiled as she sat up on her bed. She looked out the window and sighed contently. Everything seemed to be going her way now-a-days. She stood and walked over to her bathroom, ready to complete her morning routine.

After her long shower, she dressed in her usual outfit and headed out for the day. She really had nothing to do but she wanted to wander around for a while. She hadn't gotten a chance to just take in the beauty of her great village for quiet sometime.

She smiled and stepped down the steps in front of her apartment building and smiled softly. She just had a feeling that today was going to be a good day.

Looking around her, she took in the sites as she walked. "Maybe I'll get some ramen," she murmured to herself and then frowned. No, she couldn't do that until Naruto came back from his current mission. She had a promise to keep and so did he.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" someone screamed her name and she turned around with a smile that fell when she saw the Hyuga heiress running her way with a worried expression written over her pretty face.

"What? Has something happened? Hinata-chan, calm down and tell me what's going on," Sakura said, as calmly as she could muster. She grabbed the other girl by her shoulders as she began to hyperventilate. "Breath, Hinata-chan. Just calm down and breath," she murmured and pressed her fingers to the other girls chest before using one of the jutsus she had created to relieve the tightness in Hinata's chest.

Hinata coughed and heaved before her breathing came back to normal. She looked up at Sakura with a soft smile and tears in her eyes. "They're back, Sakura-chan. Naruto-kun and Neji-nii-san. They're back from their mission and they need you at the hospital. They need you to heal them," Hinata finally got out with a soft smile.

Sakura smiled as well and nodded her head. "You get the ramen and the tea. I'll get to them and I'll have them up and ready in no time," she said before she ran in the direction of the hospital.

As soon as she arrived there she was directed to the room both ninjas were currently in, both knocked out and covered with buries and cuts. She didn't utter a word as she began to pore her chakra into Naruto and then Neji. She smiled when she was finally done; the cuts were gone, internal bleeding had been stopped, and most of the bruises were gone. But they would still be extremely sore when they woke up.

Just as she was about to take a seat a nurse entered the room and quickly pulled Sakura out of the room and towards another that seemed to be the center of everyone's attention. Sakura raised a brow but shrugged it off. She was needed here and so here was were she would be.

She passed the seven AnBu standing outside the room and entered before stopping and gasping. There laying in the bed lay her old teammate and unrequited love interest, Sasuke Uchiha.

Gaara sighed heavily and continued to listen to the conversation that was going on between two of the elders, Nakuro and Danshi. They were debating whether or not they should except the peace treaty sent to them by one of the lesser lords in the Wind Country. One that had been especially resistant to excepting Gaara's leadership. Finally, one of his bother Kankuro, who was now considered an 'elder' spoke up.

"Listen, whether we agree with how he's handled himself before now doesn't matter, he does provide us with some of the materials we deem necessary in life and so we should take this opportunity and use the peace treaty for our advantage. We'll make out demands and if he values his dear son, then he'll agree to whatever we put on the table," Kankuro finished. Everyone nodded their head and took in what he had said. Gaara, himself had to admit that Kankuro was making sense.

They all looked to Gaara for his approval and when he nodded everyone in the room clapped at both his wise decision and at Kankuro's wise suggestion.

Temari smiled at both her brothers and then moved to the next topic. "Now, about our hospital. It seems that we've been losing more and more pacients," She said with a grimace.

Gaara raised a nonexistant brow. "When you say 'losing' you mean more people are dying?" He asked. She nodded her head.

"Yes, but this chart here says that most of the time the pacitent doesn't have anything serious wrong with them. Just last week a man died of an infection because the nurses and doctors didn't know exactly how to close his wounds. It seems as if our medical staff in insufficient. They're mostly civilians who don't have good chakra control but no formal training. The war with Lord Toshio has taken most of our trained medics and put them in the field," Temari finished.

"Are there any suggestions on what we should do?" Baki asked, looking around. This was a serious matter but he was at a lose for what they should do about it.

"We could ask Konoha for their help, they have Sakura Haruno who is known for having surpassed the Godaime with her skills as a medic. I also here that she's been offered the position as head of the hospital and medical ninja ," Temari said.

Gaara nodded his head and looked around after having taken in the information. "Yes, then. If no one has any other suggestions or reasons to disagree, we'll send a letter to the Hokage later on to day. Now, if we could continue, what's next on our agenda?" he asked and leaned back in his chair. He remember the pink haired girl and smirked. This was going to be interesting.

"Anyway, about the Lord Toshio's son, Tadashi...."

**So how'd you like it? I know what you're thinking, 'why is she even bothering to bring Sasuke back when this story revolves around Sakura and Gaara?' Well my lovelies all will be explained in due time.**


	2. Zombie Walkings and Love Talkings

Back again to give you that fire you so desire, ma darlings. Anyway, here you go, the next Go Round of this Merri.

Bad Habits(If Time Was My Friend)

by CickCycleCarosel

Chapter Two: Zombie Walkings and Love Talkings

If there was anyone Sakura hadn't been expecting to be laying in that bed, it was Sasuke Uchiha. The sight of him was almost enough to make her start hyperventilating but she had a job to do and a duty to her village to fore fill.

She moved swiftly towards his bruised and battered body laying on the hospital bed and began to heal the internal bleeding along with as many cuts as she could before she started to feel woozy from the loose of so much chakra.

She looked down at his still body and watched as he breathed in a daze. His eyelids fluttered open and she faintly heard him calling her name before she collapsed onto the ground. She looked up at the ceiling with glazed eyes before closing them and letting the darkness that had been following after her since she had healed Naruto and Neji consume her.

Gaara looked up from his paperwork and up at his older sister Temari, lifting a nonexistent brow.

"Can you repeat that?" he asked with his eyes narrowed

"Well, they sent a messenger and his version of the peace treaty is completely different from what they sent us in the beginning. Listen, Gaara, I looked it over and I even sent them an eagle demanding the meaning of this and they said that the one they sent was the original peace treaty and we must have gotten a draft. They also agreed to all our terms and conditions if comply with their's," Temari said, every now and then looking down at said peace treaty.

"They have more conditions they want us to abide by? Do they not understand who has the upper hand here? We've already agreed to give his son back, to provide two ambassadors, and to help pay for public destruction," Gaara stated waving his hands in exaggeration.

Temari nodded her head and wrote down some notes of a piece of paper. "Gaara, you're not going to like what their last condition is. So, to avoid being the barer of bad news, I'll let their messenger tell you the news.

Gaara nodded his head and waved his to dismiss her and let the messenger from Lord Toshio's village.

Sakura blinked twice and coughed as she tried to sit up before falling back onto the hospital bed. She sighed and licked her dry lips before looking around at the room they had placed her in. Not surprisingly, everything was white. The door, the walls, the dresser where they had, no doubt, but her clothes in. It was all so blindingly white that it was giving her a headache.

She closed her eyes once again and relaxed, she had all intentions giving into her exhaustion and falling back to sleep when she felt something warm wrap around her hand and shift by her side.

She cracked one eye opened and looked down at her right side. The sight that greeted her was surprising to say the least. Sasuke Uchiha was laying sleeping at her bedside, his hand gently holding her's. If this had been any other time she might have started to swoon but the only reaction she could muster was a blank stare. What was he doing here, in her room?

Why had the nurses let him in? Why had Tsunade let him in? Why was he holding her hand and why were her eyes beginning to water?

She lifted her left hand and brought it to her face before touching her cheeks. She was crying, to her great astonishment and distaste. Hadn't she cried over him enough?

"Sakura?" he questioned as he looked up at her. Her tears hurting him in a way he hadn't thought possible.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a shaky voice. This wasn't how she had pictured him in all her dreams of him coming back. He looked worn out and older that he really was. But so handsome it hurt.

"You passed out, I was worried. They only allowed you one visitor," he explained, his eyes holding a look she knew well but one that had never been offered to her before. "I missed you, Sakura. I missed you so much," he whispered as tears gathered in his own eyes. It wasn't a lie, either. He had thought about her the most out of everyone.

"I," she tried to speak before the sob that was rising from her pit broke through, taking her breath away. He moved quickly and pulled her close to him.

"So much, Sakura. I missed you so much," he murmured into her hair before raising her chin so that she could see the sincerity in his eyes. And just as they were about to kiss, a kiss that held promise, Lee burst into the room with sweat dripping down his brow like he had just run 34 laps around the village walls.

"Sakura-san! The Hokage needs you in her office pronto!" he yelled. Sakura whiped her eyes and nodded her head before looking at Sasuke who was glaring at Lee for interrupting their moment.

She stood on shaky legs and made her way to the cabinet that held her clothes and then turned to the two males. "f you wouldn't mind," she trailed off suggestively and they both nodded taking the hint.

She quickly dressed and then walked out of the room to where Sasuke and Lee stood waiting for her.

"I'll... I'll talk to you later, Sasuke," she murmured before following after Lee.

Gaara looked at the messenger and gritted his teeth. "Let me get this straight, you want one of us," he stopped and gestured between himself and his brother who was standing on the right side of him," to marry Lord Toshio's daughter?" he asked. His eyes were blazing hot jade fire but that didn't seem to bother the messenger. Had it been any other man, Gaara was positive he'd have had a wet spot on his carpet and the smell of piss lingering in the air.

"Yes, that's exactly what Lord Toshio has in mind. It would be a way of strengthening our alliance," the messenger stated clearly.

Gaara waved his hand and dismissed the messenger and gritted his teeth as the man bowed and left the room. He looked between both of his siblings and motioned for them to sit.

"So Gaara, what will we do? Which of you two will marry her?" Temari asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I-I... what about Shino-san? He'll be so sad if he hears I'm getting married," Kankuro murmured. Gaara rolled his eyes and Kankuro's mention of his boyfriend.

Gaara rubbed his temple and sighed in aggravation. "I don't know what we'll do but we'll figure out a way to make this work," he muttered.

"But... but if it's for the good of the village..," Kankuro protested. Gaara silenced him with a look before looking back at the peace treaty.

"We'll figure something out."

"If you were both already betrothed then they couldn't do anything. Even if it was to a man," Temari said, the last part for Kankuro's benefit. "They want you to marry in two years time. That's plenty of time for you both to get engaged to someone else," she continued on.

Gaara nodded his head as he listened to his sister's idea.

"And then they'd just have to settle with her marrying one of the councilmen's sons," she stated. "All that you two have to do is find the right bride or groom," she finished.

Gaara nodded is head. At this point, he'd do just about anything to keep himself from marrying Lord Toshio's daughter. It wasn't like she wasn't beautiful, he had seen her before, but he was sure that Lord Toshio would try to influence policies by using his daughter and that was just something he wasn't will to put up with.

"Then it's settled, that's what we'll do," Temari said with a triumphant smile.

**So, what do you guys think? And yes this is still a Sakura/Garra fic but the plot won't run as smoothly without the Sakura/Sasuke love. Just bare with me and all will be revealed in due time! So until next time, bye bye!**

**- Caro-kun signing out!**


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